Anthony Weiner

MRC Study: Networks Found Twice as Much Intensity for GOP Foley Scandal in 2006 Than Weinergate In 2011
By Tim Graham | June 23, 2011 | 11:59 AM EDT

As much as liberals might complain the Anthony Weiner scandal was some sort of feeding frenzy, the networks did not attack it, especially the evening news. They seemed to agree with just-departed CBS anchor Katie Couric, who asked on Twitter: “I’m curious if anybody thinks this Anthony Weiner Twitter scandal is a legit news story or just fodder for late-night comedians.”

That’s not the way the networks acted in the fall of 2006, when the MRC demonstrated a real feeding frenzy in the case of Republican Rep. Mark Foley, who quickly resigned after ABC’s Brian Ross reported he’d sent lewd AOL instant messages to former congressional pages. In the first 12 days of that story, the networks “flooded the zone” with 152 stories (55 evening stories and 97 morning stories or segments).

By contrast, Democrat Weiner’s weeks of trying to avoid resignation didn’t draw a similar flood. In the first 12 days of the Weiner scandal (from May 29 through June 9), the networks filed only 56 stories (just 11 in the evening, 45 in the morning).

Weiner Saga Illustrates Cultural Normalization of Deviance
By Cal Thomas | June 21, 2011 | 10:17 AM EDT

In the aftermath of the exposure and resignation of Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) from Congress, his colleagues, some journalists, ethicists and pundits are trying to sort out what it means. Has a new standard been created in Washington? How can Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) remain in office under an ethical cloud about money and Weiner be forced to resign because he had fantasy sex? It wasn't even "real" sex, like Bill Clinton had. Clinton also lied about sex and was impeached for lying (but not for the sex because as actress Janeane Garofalo told Bill Maher recently, "everyone lies about sex"). Some wondered then if standards had fallen for occupants of the Oval Office, or whether the behavior of Clinton and some Republicans mirror a national moral decline?

Leno Joke about Weiner Includes Pro-life Terminology: 'Unborn Son'
By Jill Stanek | June 20, 2011 | 12:17 PM EDT

Tonight Show host Jay Leno demonstrated June 17 that getting a laugh is much more important than political correctness to a comedian.

Although Leno is married to pro-abortion feminist Mavis, he knew “male fetus” just wouldn’t get the response “unborn son” would.

Watch the clip beginning at 12:28 for Leno’s quip, “Trending tomorrow, Weiner’s unborn son tweets his sonogram picture to over 500 girls”…

 

Radio Mud: Thom Hartmann Responds to Weiner With Old Enquirer Boehner Story
By Tim Graham | June 19, 2011 | 5:43 PM EDT

The sour grapes were incredibly sour on the Thom Hartmann radio show on Thursday when they led off with the news that Anthony Weiner was resigning. Broadcasting live from the Netroots Nation hootenanny in Minneapolis, Hartmann went right from an admitted sex scandal to an unproven old story from last November in the National Enquirer:

Looks like Anthony Weiner’s about to step down. John Boehner’s involved in a major sex scandal. It’s all over the page of the National Enquirer. Two different women, they’re naming the women. So this is this is shades of the John Edwards revisit.

Jon Stewart Tells Chris Wallace Fox News Is Biased -- But Rest of Media Aren't
By Noel Sheppard | June 19, 2011 | 1:35 PM EDT

After months of being asked, Jon Stewart finally appeared on "Fox News Sunday" this weekend.

The primary discussion point was bias in the media which the "Daily Show" host continually told Chris Wallace is far more prevalent on FNC than at all the other news organizations (video follows with transcript and commentary):

NPR's Nina Totenberg: 'I Finally Felt Sorry For Anthony Weiner'
By Noel Sheppard | June 18, 2011 | 10:41 AM EDT

Did you feel sorry for disgraced Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) when he finally resigned last week?

NPR's Nina Totenberg did, and actually said so on Friday's "Inside Washington" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

NPR Looks Back Favorably at 'Passionate Defender of Heroes' Weiner
By Matthew Balan | June 17, 2011 | 7:59 PM EDT

NPR's Andrea Seabrook reminisced about the "defining moments" of former Representative Anthony during a glowing report on Thursday's All Things Considered. In particular, Seabrook highlighted his infamous 2010 speech on the House floor defending a multi-billion dollar proposal to aid sick 9/11 rescue workers, and labeled the New York Democrat a "scrappy and passionate defender of heroes."

The correspondent summed up Weiner's early career at the beginning of her report and noted how "his star began to rise toward the end of the health care debate in Congress, a debate that snarled most of 2009 and the spring of 2010." After playing a clip from a speech that the politician gave to a group of Young Democrats, Seabrook underlined how "he always had pluck, but that debate brought out the anti-Republican bulldog in Weiner."

Howard Fineman: Democrats Didn't Like Weiner Going On Fox News
By Noel Sheppard | June 17, 2011 | 7:33 PM EDT

Now that disgraced Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) has resigned, the media are not only trying to help resuscitate his career but also coming up with reasons why he wasn't that well liked anyway.

Jumping on the bandwagon was the Huffington Post's Howard Fineman who told MSNBC's Chris Matthews Friday, "I also don't think a lot of people loved the fact that he was on Fox a lot" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

Is CNN Trying to Rehabilitate Weiner's Career?
By Matt Hadro | June 16, 2011 | 7:37 PM EDT

From listening to CNN's pre- and post-Weiner press conference commentary, one could be forgiven for thinking they were already attempting to jumpstart the congressman's political career. Already one former politician caught in a sex scandal is using his prime-time position at CNN to rehabilitate his image.

"Sad" and "tragic" were words used by CNN's political team to describe Weiner's resignation given that he was a "rising star" in the Democrat Party. CNN's Wolf Blitzer told colleague John King, "It's almost tragic, John, because as you've been pointing out, [Weiner] was really the front-runner to become the next mayor of New York City after Michael Bloomberg."

Chris Matthews: Fox Should Hire Weiner to Play 'Typical Liberal' Talking About 'Latest Scandal'
By Noel Sheppard | June 16, 2011 | 7:19 PM EDT

Chris Matthews on Thursday said Fox News ought to hire disgraced Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) to play the "typical liberal with all the lifestyle qualities of a typical liberal" to talk about "the latest scandal every night."

Politico's Ben Smith responded to the "Hardball" host, "I asked them about it today. They didn’t buy it. They referred me to CNN" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

Chris Matthews: Weiner Press Conference 'Sort of Like the Hanging of Saddam Hussein'
By Scott Whitlock | June 16, 2011 | 5:42 PM EDT

Chris Matthews came up with a bizarre analogy on Thursday, suggesting that Anthony Weiner's resignation press conference was "sort of like the hanging of Saddam Hussein." While offering criticism of Weiner, the Hardball anchor also praised the event: "At his best, he had dignity today. He had a measure of class, which has been missing in all of this."

Matthews made the weird comparison to the execution of a dictator while talking to Ben Smith of Politico. The host complained of hecklers at the press conference, opining, "Ben, it reminded me of the Saddam Hussein hanging today. Even they couldn't do that right. The grossness of affair led to the grossness of the finale."

[See video below. MP3 audio here.]

Barbara Walters Mourns Weiner 'Tragedy,' Worries 'He's Never Had Another Job'
By Eric Ames | June 16, 2011 | 5:17 PM EDT

If anyone needs one more item for the already massive Missing the Point file, the ladies of The View were happy to provide their insights into the Anthony Weiner resignation. "In a way it's a tragedy." said Barbara Walters. "He's never had another job. What does he do after this?"

That's right Barbara: the real tragedy is not that Weiner has damaged his reputation and humiliated his family, but that the poor little congressman might have trouble finding a new job. "He's got a whole life ahead and he has to worry also because we don't know what Huma, who is three months pregnant, is going to do." added Walters.